Archived News and Events
The Richmond-Times Dispatch has an article today about a proposed new Olympic training facility in Chesterfield County.
Construction on a $100 million, 50-acre Olympic training facility in the Waterford Business Center in Chesterfield County could begin in February.
The project at Route 288 and Powhite Parkway, announced yesterday at Chesterfield’s Department of Economic Development, is the brainchild of Steve Burton, CEO and chairman of SportsQuest, a company he developed for this purpose.
Site Slated To Open at Powhite and 288 in the Waterford Business Center
SportsQuest is locating a multi-sport Olympic Training Site at the corner of Powhite Parkway and 288 in Chesterfield County. Total estimated investment for the entire multiplex exceeds $100 million and the project will eventually employ over 500 employees. Projected opening of Phase I is Q1 2010. The site is in the Waterford Business Center and once fully built will encompass approximately 50 acres.
Art Warren, Chairman of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors said, “This is great news for Chesterfield County as I have always wanted a project like this to locate in our community. This will further enhance the quality of life of Chesterfield citizens and will attract people to live, work and play in Chesterfield County, but on a much higher level than we ever anticipated.”
The Sport and Family Entertainment Multiplex will allow high performance athletes as well as the public to participate in twenty-four Olympic sports, including: swimming, cycling, tennis, triathlon, speed skating, figure skating, hockey, volleyball, gymnastics, martial arts and others. The campus will house the largest group of high performance athletes in the country. Along with the elite athletes training there, programming for the general public in child and adult fitness and recreation will be offered at the site. SportsQuest has proven itself in high performance programming; its short track speed skating program located here includes: a 2006 Olympian and three 2008 US National Champions.
Stephen Burton, Ph.D., CEO and Chairman of SportsQuest, said, “The multiplex will provide a place that people can play sports for fun, fitness or to chase Olympic dreams.” “We will offer three tracks for all of our sports programming, including: recreational participation, competitive youth development, or high performance athletic pursuit,” Burton added.
The multiplex will be capable of hosting National Championships, World Championships, and Olympic Trials in most of the sports. The project will also include a cutting edge sports medicine and sports science facility to serve both the athletes at the training center and the local community. The project will be developed as three phases. Phase I will include: an Aquatics Center, Ice Skating Rink, Sports Medicine Clinic, Fitness Center, and Family Entertainment Center. Phase II is scheduled to include a hotel, a retail plaza, and a 6,000 seat arena for sports and special events. Phase III plans include an indoor/outdoor tennis club and a multi-sport field house.
“The family entertainment center is an important part of the campus program,” Dr. Burton said, “as a resident of the community it was important to me that we increase the opportunities for families in our community to spend time together.”
County Administrator Jay Stegmaier said, “We are very excited about the opportunities this project will make available to Chesterfield citizens as well as the region and State. We look forward to working with Dr. Burton to develop his vision of ‘the Olympic Dream.’”
Chesterfield County Economic Development assisted in the site location and TGM Realty Investors, Inc. will handle the real estate transaction.
Contact:
Steve Burton, Ph.D, CEO & Chairman, SportsQuest (804) 241-7931- sburton@sportsquest.biz
Will Davis, Director, Chesterfield County Economic Development (804) 318-8550
American Infrastructure, the site contractor for Westchester Commons, has once again provided to Chesterfield Economic Development recent aerial photographs of the project. Westchester Commons is being developed by Zaremba Metropolitan Midlothian, LLC. Since June, a great deal of progress has been made on this project.
Westchester Commons is a 900,000 square foot retail shopping center located at the northwest quadrant of Route 60 and Route 288. Westchester Commons is part of the 640 acre Watkins Centre mixed use development.
Westchester Commons will consist of large, national retailers including Target, Petco, Jo-Ann Fabric and Regal Cinemas around the perimeter of the center, with a concentration of small shops along an interior, pedestrian-friendly Main Street. Books-A-Million will be opening a new store at one end of Main Street. And Gold’s Gym is building a new 45,000 square-foot, $8 million facility near the other end of Main Street. A grand opening scheduled in the spring of 2009.
The Richmond-Times Dispatch has an article in today’s Metro Business section about the important work going on at Wako Chemicals USA here in Chesterfield County.
The somewhat arcane but vital business of keeping you alive is thriving in Chesterfield County.
In a nondescript building off an industrial stretch of Bellwood Road between Interstate 95 and the James River, a Japanese chemical company is busy producing a fine, white powder used to test the safety of injectable medications and artificial joints.
In FY08, Chesterfield County did a record amount of business with minority-owned firms. A total of $8,739,870 was spent with minority contractors. That represents 5.53%, another record, of the total dollars spent for goods and services of $158,173,606. Dollars spent with women-owned businesses totaled $4,588,614, more than double the previous fiscal year’s total. Lastly, purchases from Chesterfield businesses were 13.79% of the county’s total dollars expended for another record total of $21,806,891. These figures do not include new school construction or food purchases. By code, the Purchasing Department is not responsible for purchasing for either of these areas.
Michael Bacile, Director of the County’s Purchasing Department credits much of this success on the vendors themselves in competing for the county’s business. He does, however, also give credit to the effort that the entire Purchasing staff has provided to open the doors to minority-owned, women-owned and Chesterfield businesses. “Our outreach efforts in hosting the “Breakfast with the Buyers” sessions with our partners in Economic Development, participating in the ProcureCon ASIA program, attending Virginia State University’s Vendor Fair, hosting a booth at Henrico County’s Small, Women-Owned and Minority Business Opportunity Fair, and other initiatives throughout the year have had a positive impact on improving the numbers for FY08.”
“You can be assured that we will continue to be proactive in our efforts to increase opportunities for participation by a more diverse group of vendors, as outlined in our Diversity Initiative” says Mr. Bacile.
Alstom Power, Inc., held a groundbreaking celebration on December 3, 2008 for its new Blade Manufacturing Facility at their Willis Road plant in Chesterfield County.
The new 20,000 square foot facility will enable them to manufacture turbine blades from 2” to 38” in length. They are currently able to manufacture approximately 7,000 blades each year at their present facility but expect that this expansion will allow them to more than double their annual blade production.
Alstom opened its operations in Chesterfield County in the early 1970’s and have undergone several expansions. They currently employ over 150 employees at the Willis Road plant and expect to add 25 new employees over the next 36 months as their blade production capacity increases. The $7.5 million expansion is scheduled to be complete in early June 2009.
Richmond BizSense has a good article about the deal that brought Sabra Dipping Company to Chesterfield County.
http://www.richmondbizsense.com/big-biz/543-how-hummus-arrived-in-va.html
Alstom Power, Inc., held a groundbreaking celebration on December 3, 2008 for a new Blade Manufacturing Facility at its Willis Road plant in Chesterfield County.
The new 20,000 square foot facility will enable them to manufacture turbine blades from 2” to 38” in length. They are currently able to manufacture approximately 7,000 blades each year at their present facility but expect that this expansion will allow them to more than double their annual blade production.
Alstom located their operations to Chesterfield County in the early 1970’s and have undergone several expansions. They currently employ over 150 employees at the Willis Road plant and expect to add 25 new employees over the next 36 months as their blade production capacity increases. The $7.5 million expansion is scheduled to be complete in early June 2009
The Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia has leased 7,000 sf. in the Moorefield V building located on 720 Moorefield Park Drive in Chesterfield County. The bureau, along with 25-30 employees is relocating from Richmond and will take occupancy in January 2009.
Sabra Dipping Company will open a state-of-the-art food processing plant in Chesterfield County. The plant will produce award-winning Sabra branded dips and spreads including the country’s best-selling Sabra hummus and vegetable dips. Current projections estimate 260 new jobs will result from the facility, beginning in mid 2010. Chesterfield County successfully competed against two other states for the project. The 110,000 square foot facility will be located on 49 acres in the Ruffin Mill Industrial Park at the Walthall interchange off Interstate 95.
Art Warren, Chairman of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors said, “Chesterfield is proud to welcome Sabra Dipping Company to our growing list of corporate citizens. Sabra was a targeted company by Chesterfield Economic Development. We thank Sabra for their investment and the growth potential they bring to the county. We look forward to enjoying their high quality products and having them made in Chesterfield.”
“In recent years, Sabra has emerged as a top brand in the growing dips category,” said Ronen Zohar, Chief Executive Officer for Sabra Dipping Company. “We are projecting growth and planning exciting innovation. We are very optimistic about our company’s plans for Chesterfield County and look forward to breaking ground and settling into the community.”
Sabra Dipping Company, LLC of Astoria, New York, makes a wide range of refrigerated dips and spreads using fresh herbs and spices, and authentic recipes and healthy vegetables. All of the products are certified kosher and vegetarian and available across the nation. With more than 50 percent growth in the past 52 weeks, Sabra is leading its category according to recent IRI reports.
Sabra Dipping Company was formed as a U.S./Canadian joint venture between Strauss Group and PepsiCo. The Sabra joint venture draws on both Strauss Group and Frito-Lay North America’s marketplace expertise to continue building this growing business. Frito-Lay is a business unit of PepsiCo. This will be the first new facility built since the formation of the Sabra Dipping Company joint venture.
Strauss Group (TASE: STRS), Israel’s second largest food and beverage Group, has over the past few years become an international corporation with a steadily growing part of its business conducted outside of Israel. The Group employs more then 11,000 people and operates in nineteen countries. Over the last five years, the Group has consistently achieved double-digit growth, doubling its business in that period and generating NIS 6 billion (around $1.7 billion) in turnover at the end of 2007, of which 45 percent originated in international activities. The Group focuses on key consumption trends in the food industry via three business divisions: Health & Wellness, Fun & Indulgence, and Coffee.
The Group collaborates with a number of leading multinationals – PepsiCo and Lavazza – and is traded on the Tel Aviv 25 Index.
The Group has cultivated its coffee business extensively and is among the top ten players in the world’s coffee markets with operations in 11 countries, and is one of the largest corporations in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe and the second largest in Brazil. The Group’s global fun and indulgence activities have focused around the development of a unique line of chocolate bars under the Max Brenner brand. In North America, the Group’s health and wellness business is being led by Sabra. For more information, please visit www.strauss-group.com.
Frito-Lay North America is the $11 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, New York.
PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, with 2007 annual revenues of more than $39 billion. The Company employs approximately 185,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 18 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the Company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the Company’s impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
“This high profile announcement in the food industry further solidifies Chesterfield’s presence in the international market. It is satisfying to see that, even in these tight economic times, manufacturing continues to grow in Chesterfield County. We welcome Sabra as the newest members of our corporate community” said County Administrator Jay Stegmaier.
In addition to Chesterfield Economic Development, Sabra was assisted in the site selection process by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Gateway Region and the Greater Richmond Partnership.
Contact:
Ilya Welfeld, Public Relations, Sabra Dipping Company
(201) 439-1010
Communities In Schools of Chesterfield (CIS) is a public/private partnership established in 1993 to promote academic achievement among at-risk youth. CIS coordinates and delivers education, health, and social support services to promote academic achievement by focusing on prevention and intervention to youth and their families. Over 1,000 at-risk youth received high school diplomas with support from CIS since program began in 1993.
CIS of Chesterfield is affiliated with Communities In Schools, Inc., the nation’s largest nonprofit dropout prevention program operating at more than 2,500 US sites. Through the CIS Mentoring program they are able to provide approximately 150 community volunteers who spend one hour weekly with an individual student, grades K-through 12.
CIS has raised over one million dollars to benefit Chesterfield County students. By providing financial support and in-kind services CIS is able to provide community resources to enrich programs for students and families. CIS recruits and trains mentors and other volunteers, develops school to work opportunities, provides job shadowing, internships, and career days.
The program has received numerous awards including the 1998 Governor’s Partnerships in Education Award, the Virginia Association of Partners in Education Award in 2000 and was the winner of Virginia Mentoring Partnership statewide award 2004.
For additional information on how you can volunteer your time or your company’s resources please call For additional information, Contact
Martha J. Frickert at (804) 717-9305.
Philip Morris USA’s Park 500 facility sits on about 500 acres along the James River in Chesterfield County. The Park 500 facility opened in 1975 to reuse tobacco materials discarded during the manufacturing process. By its nature a recycling facility, Park 500 processes small pieces of tobacco from other PM USA facilities into large sheets of tobacco. The water used during this process is treated in an on-site treatment plant before being discharged into the James River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
The treated water contains nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that are naturally present in agricultural products like tobacco. Although nutrients are necessary to sustain a healthy water environment, excessive levels of these nutrients in water ecosystems can cause algae blooms and other adverse impacts on aquatic life, impairing healthy rivers and bays.
Since 2001, PM USA has successfully reduced total nitrogen loadings to the James River by evaluating and instituting operational changes to the Park 500 facility’s wastewater treatment plant. PM USA has voluntarily reduced total nitrogen loadings to the river by 46 percent between 2001 and 2006.
To further reduce the environmental impact of their business, the company identified an innovative method known as a natural treatment system, or engineered wetlands, that would further reduce the level of nutrients in the wastewater discharge from Park 500 into the James River. Although natural treatment systems have been successful in further reducing nutrient levels for industrial and municipal facilities in other states, they are relatively new in Virginia.
The natural treatment system supplements the existing wastewater treatment plant at the Park 500 facility. Treated water from the on-site treatment plant will be routed through the established wetlands and microbes and other natural processes will further reduce the nutrient levels in the water before it is returned to the river.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports today that exports from Virginia companies have reached an all-time high. The article mentions two Chesterfield county firms, Premier Pet Products and Filtrona Richmond, as companies benefiting from this export boom.
Chesterfield Economic Development has announced that ept Automotive has leased 46,300 square feet of manufacturing space in River’s Bend in Chesterfield County for a new facility to produce electrical connectors for the automotive industry.
The $5 million manufacturing operation will open in October and is expected to create more than 50 jobs during the next three years.
ept (Electronic Precision Technology) automotive is a subsidiary of ept GmbH, Peiting, Germany, located about 60 miles southwest of Munich. A global supplier to the automotive industry for integrated solutions for electrical connection technology, the firm has more than 700 employees.
ept Automotive has leased 46,300 square feet of manufacturing space in River’s Bend in Chesterfield County for a new facility to produce electrical connectors for the automotive industry.
The facility, involving an estimated $5 million in investment, will open in October and is expected to create more than 50 jobs during the next three years.
ept (Electronic Precision Technology) automotive is a subsidiary of ept GmbH, Peiting, Germany, located about 60 miles southwest of Munich. A global supplier to the automotive industry for integrated solutions for electrical connection technology, the firm has more than 700 employees.
Willy Rau, president of ept america, was selected in February to establish the new production facility.
Thomas Guglhör, president of ept Automotive said, “We are very excited about our new production facility to be established in Chesterfield County. Virginia is perfectly located as a bridge between our parent company in Germany and our many automotive customers in the eastern half of the United States. The support we received from state, regional and local economic development officials goes back several years and helped make our decision a confident one.”
Mr. Rau added, “Chesterfield County offers a pool of experienced, skilled workers and managers that will contribute quickly to our mission. Having operated another business in Chesterfield for many years, I have great respect for Virginia’s business climate and the productivity of the local workforce.” Art Warren, Chairman of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors said, “Chesterfield is proud to welcome ept to our growing list of international corporate citizens. We are particularly happy to have another prominent advanced manufacturing company in the international automotive industry.”
In addition to Chesterfield Economic Development; ept was assisted in the site selection process by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Jobs Investment Program and the Greater Richmond Partnership.
Contact:
Willy Rau, President, ept Automotive, 804-715-3045; Willy.Rau@eptusa.com
Will Davis, Director, Chesterfield Economic Development (804) 318-8550
Chesterfield County has launched a new service called Citizen Wi-Fi. The service enables library users and people visiting several other county buildings to access the Internet through their own wireless-enabled devices, such as laptops and PDAs.
There is no charge for this service, however, customers must have their own equipment, wireless card and software. The county’s Wi-Fi access is as secure as any open public access network, such as dial-up Internet accounts or public telephones, although it is recommended that customers use an SSL-encrypted Web page prior to sending or receiving confidential data.
To access the service, customers will need a Wi-Fi compliant (802.11 b/g) device installed on their laptops or PDAs, equipped with a standard Internet browser, to access the network. The system will work with either Mac or PC computers as long as the computer or PDA is equipped with a wireless card and the appropriate software.
For more information visit the Citizen Wi-Fi web page.
The Business Expansion Incentive Fund (BEIF) was established for the purpose of securing job-creating economic development opportunities through the preservation and expansion of existing business in Chesterfield County. BEIF assistance may be in the form of a low-interest loan or a grant.
BEIF is a key component of the County’s goal to be a FIRST CHOICE business community and Chesterfield Economic Development’s mission to support the retention, growth, and expansion of the county’s existing industries.
“The Board has renewed its commitment to economic development as a priority, “ said Art Warren, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. ”At the heart of this commitment are our existing businesses and this new program further demonstrates that “Business Starts Here”.
Funds may be used for such things as public and private utility extension or capacity development on and off site; road, rail, or other transportation access costs beyond the funding capability of existing programs; development fees such as site plan, zoning, and building permitting fees; or recruitment, training or retraining costs.
All companies seeking BEIF assistance will be required to make a minimum capital investment of at least $50,000 and create/retain one job for every $10,000 in funding requested. Companies will be required to demonstrate financial stability and future growth potential.
“We realize that our existing industries account for over 70% of new investment in Chesterfield. This program will provide our existing companies with resources as they continue to invest in Chesterfield County,” said Jay Stegmaier, County Administrator.
Applications are made to the Chesterfield County Economic Development Department.
For eligibility requirements and more information, contact Chesterfield Economic Development at (804) 318-8550 or go to www.chesterfieldbusiness.com.
Candlewood Suites recently opened in the Walthall area on 15820 Woods Edge Road. The 42,588 sq ft, 3-story hotel has 82 suites and is conveniently located off I-95 at the Woods Edge Road exit. The company plans to have a grand opening celebration in September.
Theses suites are designed especially for stays of a week or more. Each suite is equipped with a full kitchen including a dishwasher and refrigerator/freezer. For more information, visit www.CandlewoodSuites.com.
In mid-September, Dr. Jolanta Herrera will open a new medical facility on 2552 Aldridge Ave at the corner of Jefferson Davis Highway. Dr. Herrera specializes in diabetes, high blood pressure, skin infections and women’s health. This practice accepts walk-ins and welcomes both Spanish and English speaking patients. La practica de la dra. Herrera acepta pacientes de habla hispana.
Chesterfield Towne Center has announced the addition of Bachrach, an upscale men’s apparel and accessories store. The center will be the retailer’s first Richmond location and is expected to open in November 2008.
The Bachrach brand features men’s suits, detailed dress shirts, and distinctive silk ties as well as other fashion essentials for the business professional and fashion-conscious male.
Bachrach will feature both exterior and interior entrances on the Huguenot Road side of Chesterfield Towne Center which has been undergoing redevelopment. The new store will occupy 4,140 square feet and will be located near the North mall entrance and Coldwater Creek. Bachrach’s other Virginia location is at Macerich’s Tysons Corner Center in McLean.
In the past year Chesterfield Towne Center has announced six new retailers including Aldo, Barnes & Noble, Charlotte Russe, Coldwater Creek, Hollister and Red Robin. At the same time, the center has been redeveloping the Huguenot Road side of the center to create a streetscape atmosphere with exterior facing retail.
Construction is well under way at the new Target store at Westchester Commons. The 900,000 square foot retail shopping center is located at the northwest quadrant of Route 60 and Route 288. Westchester Commons is part of the 640 acre Watkins Centre mixed use development.
Westchester Commons will consist of large, national retailers including Target and Regal Cinemas around the perimeter of the center, with a concentration of small shops along an interior, pedestrian-friendly Main Street. In addition to offering residents convenient and quality shopping options, Westchester Commons will also provide a sense of charm and community with its gathering places.
Construction began in the fall of 2007 with a grand opening scheduled in the spring of 2009.
For the third year in a row, Forbes.com has ranked Virginia as the best state in the nation for business. Virginia has been number one in the Best States ranking since 2006. Forbes uses six measures in its rankings: business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
Forbes writes, “Virginia remains an excellent location for new or existing businesses. It has the best regulatory environment by our count, thanks to the second-best incentive programs in the country–as well as the fifth best tort atmosphere. Other high points include energy costs 30% below the national average and an educated labor force fueled by its proximity to Washington, D.C., and top colleges like the University of Virginia and William and Mary.”
Read the rest of the story on Forbes.com.
Louis Llovio reported in the Richmond Times Dispatch yesterday that Village Bank and Trust Financial Corp. plans to move into its new corporate headquarters building in Watkins Centre on August 8th.
The company will utilize two floors of the 80,000 square foot building. The other two floors will be available for lease. The Village Bank mortgage division will relocate to the new facility from its current location in the Arboretum Office Park.
The Westchester Commons 16 Theater is now under construction. The 66,185 square foot movie theater will feature 16 screens and more than 3,000 stadium style seats. The Regal Entertainment Group is constructing the first-class motion picture theater as an anchor of the “Main Street” section of the Westchester Commons mixed use power and lifestyle project.
The photograph featured on the right was taken from Route 288. The project is located at the northwest corner of Route 288 and Route 60.
